Modern electronic components such as televisions, video cassette recorders, and stereo receiver/amplifiers commonly are sold along with infrared light emitting remote control devices, such devices being a standard auxiliary component. Such remote control devices typically have control buttons extending upwardly from their upper surfaces. Such buttons commonly have varying textures and shapes facilitating tactile fingertip recognition. Where a remote control device has a multiplicity of such buttons, it is difficult for a user, using the device in the dark, to recognize the function of various buttons based upon their shape, location and texture.
A known means for facilitating use of such remote control devices in the dark is to fabricate the control buttons from a translucent plastic material, and to incorporate an illuminating means within the remote control device, the illuminating means casting light upward through the buttons. Such backlighting of the buttons of a remote control is undesirable because it is desireable that the battery power of a remote control device be dedicated to its controlling function. Diversion of power from the batteries of a remote control device to backlighting of its button surfaces tends to drain the device's batteries, prematurely rendering the device non-functional.
The instant inventive remote control illuminating device solves the above stated problems by providing a battery and light bulb containing housing, such housing having slide arm receiving channels, and by providing a pair of sliding brackets slidably mounted within the channels, the brackets being adapted for securely engaging the side walls of a remote control device. Upon actuation of the light bulb within the housing, light is cast over the button surface of a remote control device upon which the device is installed, allowing such device to be utilized in darkness without dissipation of battery power dedicated to the operation of such device.